It's ALL going wrong...

Rochdale_Guy

Got my redundancy confirmation letter today.

This is just too much for me to handle right now. Think I'll take a break from here for a while.

Standingtall

Hi Rochdale Guy:)

Long time since I have been on the forum and I am saddened to hear your news. There are a couple points I would like to pick up on that have been made in this months posts, so I hope you check back in soon.

depression and tablets - please see your doctor and accept medication if offered. Several years ago I was diagnosed with precancerous cells, my dad had a heart attack and I found out my husband had been having an affair with a 16 year old family friend (really -'yes, you read that right!). Tablets could not undo any of that, and I could not deal with counselling, just not my style. However, in the end I did go on a course of anti-depressants and they certainly did take the 'edge' of things. I took them for 4 months and did not become addicted. Worth a try, I would say,

job - please sign up with temping agencies. Although many companies are laying off permanent staff, they are nonetheless taking on temp staff. I got a job in a major league company though temping via an agency (min wage), however it led to a permanent low paid job and this allowed me to work my way up their ladder and I have not looked back (fingers crossed very hard though as we are short of work right now:eek:).

Thirdly - try not to look ahead as you have enough to deal with here and now. I would suggest mapping out a weekly target each Sunday and allow yourself small victories. E.g. Monday eve - ring CCS, Tuesday eve - register with two temping agencies, Wed eve - apply to run local half marathon and produce training schedule for it (this is free and will give you a not debt related focus / interest).

Good luck Rochdale Guy

Angry_Bear

Rochdale_Guy wrote: »

Got my redundancy confirmation letter today.

Right, you knew this was coming so what's your plan now?*

Personally, I need to have a plan to galvanize me or I slip into a slump and can't get motivated to sort out my life. If that's not you then please ignore this post, but if you think forcing yourself to take action might help then ....

• Visit http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx to find out what you will get once your notice runs out. Sad though it is, you might find out you're better off!
• Do TWO budgets for yourself based on the above: One revised one for CCCS, and one that you'd like to be able to live to. http://www.makesenseofcards.com/soacalc.html
• Redo your CV. Bear in mind that you'll want to tweak it depending on the job you apply for. https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/getajob/cvs/Pages/default.aspx
• Get your local newspapers, bookmark the job centre, sign up for temping agencies and generally start asking around about jobs.
• You said earlier that you use your car a lot to take other people places, tell them that you're being made redundant and lay the groundwork to start asking them for contributions to petrol money.
• Do the MSE finance overhaul http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/protect/money-help
• You also said earlier that you've been living off beans and toast to cut down food bills. Try these two threads (to start with) for loads of ideas on how to cook healthily on the cheap: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2116179 & https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4116993
• Call your council and ask about lodger policy
• Visit them up your income board - surveys and the quidco drop-in app don't earn much but I paid for at least half my Christmas presents last year with survey Amazon vouchers!

That's probably enough to keep you busy for a while :rotfl:


* Not meant to sound argumentative, just positive

Rochdale_Guy

Hi, long time since I was on here. Took a self imposed break to see if things got any better, and they didn't. In fact I would say things have got worse, hard to believe that's possible.

So, I was told I am being made redundant and my last working day is 30th November, and I am to get 10 weeks redundancy pay. 1 measly week for each complete year, so after 10 loyal years I have done, all I get is 10 weeks.

I am still paying £126 each month to CCCS on my Debt Management Plan, despite not really being able to afford that amount. I explained I was being made redundant to them and they just said "keep us informed" and to remind them nearer that date, great. I have to complete a whole new budget and SOA just to get them to reduce my monthly payments. I am sure I have read on here people say they have had an unexpected expenditure, rang CCCS up, then they reduced the monthly payments for like 2-3 months. Well, not apparently in my case, just great again. And they have started taking out money from monthly payslips for this 3 days enforced unpaid leave. Sigh.

I am also trying to find out what happens when I get my albeit small redundancy lump sum. Will CCCS want a big slice of that to offer to my creditors (don't forget I still owe £26k), or will my creditors act like ever hungry wolves and come baying at my door when they hear I have got a redundancy payment? I didn't tell CCCS how much I was getting, and I have no plans to tell my creditors I am getting this lump sum.

Anyway, that's not the end of it.

Since our "team" has been given our redundancy notices and terms, Rochdale Council have now announced another 200 job losses, and another £45million in savings to make, and had now written to ALL employees asking for people interested in taking voluntary redundancy.

This is just a few weeks remember after I was told I am being made redundant and I will get 1 weeks pay for every year of service.

This new package is going to offer anyone who accepts it 3 weeks pay for every year of service, so that would mean 30 weeks pay for me, and not the paltry 10 weeks I am getting.

We are absolutely livid over this, how could they do this to us? It is so unfair.

Rumoured here, back in August 2012:
http://menmedia.co.uk/rochdaleobserver/news/s/1586098_town-hall-redundancy-plan-to-reduce-job-cuts

....and now confirmed in the letter sent to every employee. Have only just recently found that link.


Life does not get any better I am afraid to report, things are now below rock bottom and I am genuinely scared and worried sick.

I am convinced CCCS will want a slice of my redundancy money, and I won't be able to get another job (you aren't allowed to get a job with the Council or another local council for 28 days anyway after getting the redundancy money), and things just suck big time.

How do you find the strength to keep going?

People say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. No it doesn't. It just further eats away at you, zapping what little strength and will you have left in you and knocks you back even further, leaving you in a crumpled, dazed and defeated state on the floor.

My so called life. Ain't it great?

Dunree

Hi Rochdale,

I've been reading your posts, and I feel your pain.

I was in the same situation about ten years ago, and it is a horrible place to be.

I too went on the happy tabs from the doctor for a few months. They did help, and there was no withdrawal issues afterwards.

I can't help you with financial advice, as there are far better and more knowledgable people on here.

My own story, very briefly, was very similar to yours, £30k worth of debt, CCCS, but then a brave decision to change jobs after starting the DMP.

Thankfully I never looked back. Even though I started at the very bottom of my current job, I worked my way up and up.

I am now only three months from being debt free.

Keep in there, keep your head up. At the end of the day, it is just money. You are worth far more than that

Dunree

PS, in case I missed it earlier, have you applied for reclaiming any PPI on the debt?

SusieT

There is another person yesterday who posted pretty much exactly the same thing as you, same month and same sort of payout so although its no consolation you are not alone. CCCS should not worry about the payout as its a lump sum.
Get registered for jobseekers (you can start that online) and any other benefits you are entitled to a week or 2 before your redundancy date so that you are sorted out as soon as possible and let CCCS know at the same time that you have registered so they can sort things out there end.
Apply for other jobs at councils but tell them whats happened and explain the 28 day ruling, they will understand and should be able to work around it. Are your skills transferable to other companies? it may be that you could find a job away from the council and not have the wait.

yenool

Debt free 2030? Assuming you get another job right away, which I hope you do but it will be tough.

Would you not be better off considering going BR? Could use the redundancy money to pay the fee you you would have a clean slate 5 years?

Rochdale_Guy

Dunree wrote: »

Hi Rochdale,

I've been reading your posts, and I feel your pain.

I was in the same situation about ten years ago, and it is a horrible place to be.

I too went on the happy tabs from the doctor for a few months. They did help, and there was no withdrawal issues afterwards.

I can't help you with financial advice, as there are far better and more knowledgable people on here.

My own story, very briefly, was very similar to yours, £30k worth of debt, CCCS, but then a brave decision to change jobs after starting the DMP.

Thankfully I never looked back. Even though I started at the very bottom of my current job, I worked my way up and up.

I am now only three months from being debt free.

Keep in there, keep your head up. At the end of the day, it is just money. You are worth far more than that

Dunree

PS, in case I missed it earlier, have you applied for reclaiming any PPI on the debt?

Well done to you.

Thank you. I haven't done any PPI reclaims as I'm pretty sure I never took any out.

I just need to know what happens when you are made redundant, get your lump sum, start signing on and what do CCCS do?

Do I get to keep the money to live on until I get a new job?

If I get a new job, am I expected to pay off some of my creditors etc etc?

Rochdale_Guy

SusieT wrote: »

There is another person yesterday who posted pretty much exactly the same thing as you, same month and same sort of payout so although its no consolation you are not alone. CCCS should not worry about the payout as its a lump sum.
Get registered for jobseekers (you can start that online) and any other benefits you are entitled to a week or 2 before your redundancy date so that you are sorted out as soon as possible and let CCCS know at the same time that you have registered so they can sort things out there end.
Apply for other jobs at councils but tell them whats happened and explain the 28 day ruling, they will understand and should be able to work around it. Are your skills transferable to other companies? it may be that you could find a job away from the council and not have the wait.

Thanks. Yes, it is a lump sum, but does that mean when I am out of work, I am still expected to pay them £126 a month?
Technically I am unemployed and unwaged and signing on.

It would be nice to have another job lined up and start 28 days later so I can keep it.... but there are so many strings attached.

Rochdale_Guy

yenool wrote: »

Debt free 2030? Assuming you get another job right away, which I hope you do but it will be tough.

Would you not be better off considering going BR? Could use the redundancy money to pay the fee you you would have a clean slate 5 years?

I would, but I stubbornly am keeping my car (but thats another story)

And it's a shocking £750 to go bankrupt.